When resources are limited, the smartest move isn’t chasing every grant; it’s focusing on where you’re most likely to succeed. A grant scorecard helps you make those choices with intention, ensuring that the time and energy you invest are aimed at the best opportunities for your mission.
Rather than relying on gut instinct, a scorecard gives you a practical way to weigh which grants are a strong fit and which ones may not justify the effort. It helps you stay strategic, not scattered.
Why It’s Worth Doing
Not every grant deserves your attention. Some come with heavy reporting burdens. Some require staffing or matching funds you may not have. Some simply don’t line up with your work, no matter how attractive the dollar amount. A clear framework helps you spend your limited resources where they’ll make the biggest difference.
Building Your Scorecard
You don’t need anything fancy, just a simple set of criteria that reflect your nonprofit’s realities. Consider factors like:
Mission alignment: How closely does the funder’s focus match your work?
Grant size: Is the potential award meaningful relative to the effort?
Match requirements: Can you meet any matching funds or in-kind commitments?
Timeline: Is there enough runway to develop a strong application?
Likelihood of success: Do you have existing relationships or funder history?
Reporting burden: Are the reporting requirements reasonable for your team?
Capacity fit: Can your current team take this on without pulling focus from core work?
You can also add factors specific to your organization, like geography, indirect cost coverage, or long-term sustainability potential.
How to Use It
When a new grant opportunity shows up, run it through your scorecard. For each factor, give it a simple score. Then total it up. The higher the score, the stronger the fit.
You’re not aiming for perfect math; you’re building a clear snapshot that makes decisions faster and easier. No more back-and-forth debates every time something crosses your inbox.
If it helps, add a simple traffic light system to keep things visual:
Green: Strong fit! Pursue it.
Yellow: Maybe? Talk it through.
Red: Low fit. Not worth the time right now.
The goal is to give your team a shared framework, cut down on guesswork, and focus your limited time where it’s most likely to pay off.
Adapt as You Go
Your scorecard should grow with you. As your team and programs evolve, revisit your criteria to make sure they reflect your current priorities and capacity. The goal isn’t rigid rules—it’s to create clarity.
The Bottom Line
Grant writing works best when you approach it with focus. A simple scoring tool helps you play to your strengths, pursue the right opportunities, and avoid unnecessary strain on your team.
Need support building a grant pipeline that fits your mission and your capacity?
The Greater Sum helps nonprofits design funding strategies grounded in real-world data and resources. Subscribe to The Greater Sum newsletter for actionable advice, real-world examples, and simple strategies you can apply right away.
Anna Taylor is Executive Director of The Greater Sum Foundation. Under her leadership, Greater Sum has supported over 100 organizations through strategic funding, capacity-building tools, and a virtual incubator model focused on long-term impact and sustainability.
